


Touch The Sky

by AppleCiderr



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal Transformation, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, BAMF Tony Stark, Civil War Fix-It, Civil War Team Iron Man, Depression, Dragon Tony Stark, Dragons, F/M, Fantasy, Hurt Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plotbunnies, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Tony Stark, Realm Hopping, References to Depression, Science Fiction, Sokovia Accords, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, magical transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-01-10 21:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleCiderr/pseuds/AppleCiderr
Summary: Tony Stark’s life had simply become a constant cycle of stress and anxiety, and it was starting to become difficult to handle.. Tony just wanted to be free, and to have the choice to do what he wanted and not be used by everyone around him. But such a thing seemed so incredibly impossible…Until one day, when an accidental discovery grants him something he could have never been prepared for.





	1. I Never Meant to Come Here

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who got a plot bunny! This gal! 
> 
> Yeah, this is a strange idea but I simply couldn't put it down and I am really excited to write it, and I hope you guys will enjoy reading it!

Tony was starting to wonder if there was ever a time when he could just live the life he wanted to live, one that didn’t involve negotiating for people who hates him, working with a person who hated him, and being hated in general. He’d like to spend time relaxing, maybe learning a new hobby and making new tech to help the world.

 

But no, instead he was stuck in a loop. Negotiate with countries, fight crime, negotiate with countries, fight crime. Anytime in between that was usually filled by Ross and his big mouth, he always had something he wanted to complain about. 

 

Tony was pulled thin and drained, he wanted to run and be alone, and just have the smallest amount of time to himself. Sadly, it was impossible. Everyone could recognize him, especially with his recent work around the world, there was no escape from the cage he was in.

 

Even when he was far from America, life was still hell. He was in Norway trying to get the officials to reconsider on the accords, or agree to some of the adjustments he had in mind. It was a long and difficult process, made worse by the fact that Ross was trying to track his every movement.

 

After a long day of meetings, all he wanted to do was curl up in the hotel room and get as much sleep as he possibly could. But, as soon as he had settled down, his cell phone began to blare with the ringtone that Tony had given for a very specific person: Ross.

 

The genius groaned audibly, forcing himself to sit up and rub the sleep that he had nearly managed to gain from his eyes. Then, he answered the call in his usual, sarcastic tone. “Good timezone to you, Ross,” He cheerfully declared.

 

Ross spluttered a bit, which Tony found quite amusing.  _ You’d think after spending all this time working with me, he’d learn how to handle sarcasm.  _ He thought, rolling his eyes.

 

“I don’t have time for your annoying games, Stark,” He snarled,”I have more important things to do than play babysitter for a superhero, which is why I need to know why you are in Norway right now.”

 

Tony thought quickly, which was easy to do considering who he was, and came up with an excuse that matched up with the others he gave when he went to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France for the same reasons. 

 

“Just looking to expand my business and work with some new people,” He responded,”Even if I am already very rich, that shouldn’t stop me from getting richer. I can’t always be superhero-ing, right?”

 

Ross was silent for a few seconds, and the genius knew he was trying to find a hole in Tony’s story. When he couldn’t figure one out, he angrily said,”Make it a short vacation then, Stark. Miss another meeting with me and I won’t hesitate to send out a warrant. You’re not safe just because you signed the accords.”

 

The line clicked shut before Tony could fake a happy response, so he simply growled instead. Slamming his phone down on the bed, he angrily snapped,”Who the fuck does he think he is?! It’s suddenly okay to track where I’ve gone and interrogate me about my every move?! That power hungry, egotistical- Ugh!”

 

He flopped back down, but sleep was already long gone. He was too angry to lie still and rest, he needed to leave the hotel. It was too stuffy all of a sudden, and it was driving him mad. He quickly pulled on some of his less conspicuous clothes, a hoodie and jeans, and left in a hurry. It wasn’t a fancy hotel either, he just chose one in a small village in hopes he would be harder to recognize.

 

But he wasn’t safe, he couldn’t just be left alone. Even in a country he barely spent time in, people recognized him. They turned to look at him, whispered things, and pointed. It was suffocating, like he was trapped in some kind of bubble. 

 

His heart started to slam against his chest, vision gaining black spots. He was panicking, he was trapped and everyone was watching. He- He needed to be alone, away from the prying eyes of everyone.

 

Tony quickly pushed through the town and went straight for the thick forests that were nearby. Surely he could be alone there; The further he ran, the harder it would be to follow him. Part of the genius knew that he wasn’t really thinking logically, but the rest of him didn’t care at all.

 

He moved as fast and as deep as he could into the thick forests, his body starting to calm when the sound of people and cities began to fade away. Finally, he could breathe of sigh of relief. The village was far behind him, his phone was in the hotel (so he couldn’t be contacted)... He finally had some time to himself.

 

With a relieved sigh, he slumped down against a nearby tree and closed his eyes. The genius took a few seconds and just calmed his breathing, holding his knees against his chest and resting his head on them. 

 

_ The sooner this accord bullshit is over, the sooner I’ll be able to relax.  _ He thought, but that idea instantly became tainted by darkened memories.  _ But then they’ll be back, I’ll have to keep them in line with the new accords… They all hate me, and I… I don’t know what I did to deserve it. Is what I’m trying to do even right? What do I do?! _

 

Tony groaned again, threading his hands in his hair and rubbing at his temples, trying to find any way to relieve the pain. But it was the mental pain that hurt the most… And he had no idea how to fix that.

 

He ignored the pain he felt, and instead focused on the sounds of the forest around him. There was a slight rustle of leaves as the wind passed through the trees, the rushing water from the stream nearby, and the gentle noises of nearby creatures. It was… It was nice. 

 

But there was something else… He didn’t hear it at first, but the longer he stood there, the more audible it got… It almost sounded like… A song. 

 

He opened his eyes, looking around the forest for any sight of what could be making that beautiful noise. Then, near his left, he saw a soft glow. 

 

Tony almost felt hypnotized as he got to his feet, slowly walking towards the gentle glow in the distance. The noise got louder as he got closer, and the glow seemed to get brighter.  _ What is it coming from?  _ He thought.  _ I’ve… I’ve never heard such a beautiful song. _

 

He pushed past some bushes and finally saw it. Near the stream in a small piece of earth that looked like the grass had been roughly ripped out was a crystal. It was long, around the length from a human hand to their elbow, and was completely clear; But inside the crystal was a swirl of what almost looked like magic, it was constantly changing colors.

 

The glow had calmed a bit, and the song had become only a whisper. It was almost as if the strange thing had calmed down now that Tony was near.  _ Was it calling for me?  _ He wondered, his hand ghosting over the top of it and remaining unmoving. 

 

Then, as if by instinct, Tony lowered his hand and touched the crystal. The magic swirl inside of it floated up in the crystal, gathering around where his hand was. Tony cringed and waited for the pain he was so used to… But it never came. It didn’t hurt him, it didn’t cause any harm at all. 

 

He felt strange… As if something foreign had entered his bloodstream, but it felt good. The cold he felt from the weather was gone, the tiredness he had just a moment ago vanished, he felt strong. 

 

The song quieted, and the crystal was empty of the strange magic it once held.  _ Weird…  _ Tony thought, pulling his hand away and staring at the crystal for a few moments longer. 

 

He couldn’t stare for long, however, as he started to feel sleepy again. This exhaustion wasn’t the same as before, it was like a warm blanket that wrapped around him instead of the usual clawing at his head and mental health. 

 

Without even meaning to, Tony found himself laying down on the grass, curling up, and falling into a deep, relaxing sleep. 

 

— — — — — — —

 

The next time Tony woke up, things were… Different. 

 

The man sat up with a yawn, instantly feeling the grass underneath him.  _ Huh?  _ He wondered, running his hands against the blades.  _ Why am I out here?  _

 

The memories came back to him soon after he queried that question; He remembered hiding in the thick forest to avoid the world, and the strange crystal he found.  _ Where is it now?  _

 

He looked back at the patch of earth, and only gained more questions. The crystal was gone, but he saw tiny specks of it sprinkled around the ditch.  _ It broke apart? But why? _

 

Tony frowned, then noticing something else.  _ Wait… How can I even see those? They’re so small!  _ He realized, his hand going up to rub his eye.  _ It feels like my eyes are better…?  _ When he looked around the forest more, he started to realize his theory might be correct. 

 

He saw almost everything, down to even the smallest movements on the trees over twenty feet from him. But when he looked up into the sky, it was night time. Past that, even the slightest sounds were easy to hear, including the taps of birds on branches or the tiny movements of rodents. 

 

“What the…”  He muttered, getting onto his feet. He looked back at the patch of earth again, a frown gracing his face. “What did that thing do?” Honestly, Tony had thought he had hallucinated it from a lack of sleep… But it was still there, even though he had gotten some rest.

Tony wasn’t sure he could really figure it out, despite his curiosity. After all, the thing was nothing but pieces anymore. He decided to try and ignore the issue for that time.  _ I should probably get back to the hotel and then fly back home. Ross will blow his top if I don’t follow his orders, and he’s suspicious enough already.  _

 

He left the forest and got back to town, and was instantly was overwhelmed by the sudden invasion of his suddenly sensitive senses. All the lights, the people, the smells, and the sounds were just too much for him. 

 

_ When did I get so sensitive!?  _ He thought.  _ These things never bothered me this bad before!  _ He thought with a groan, dashing as fast as he could towards the hotel without care of how people may look at him for doing so. 

 

When he got to the hotel room, he grabbed his things, pocketed his phone without looking at it, and flew off in his suit without a single thought about trying to book an airplane back home. 

 

— — — — — —

 

When Tony got home, he started to notice a few other things as well. 

 

After notifying Ross that he was back home and getting a talking-to he didn’t really deserve from the bastard, he decided to spend a few days laying low. 

 

His first day back home, he tried to eat a healthy salad for dinner since Rhodey had been hounding him about such things. But he couldn’t even stomach it, almost as if his tongue was rejecting what it was tasting. He put the salad aside and tried to eat some fruit, but the same reaction happened. 

 

“I don’t understand!” He ranted to no one in particular. “I’ve never had a problem like his before… What’s going on!?” 

 

Tony huffed in annoyance, leaning against the table and hitting the salad with his fork in an attempt to make himself feel better. He sat there for a while, simply stewing in his own frustration. 

 

Eventually Friday spoke up. “Boss, if I may interject,” She began,”Perhaps it has something to do with the fact all the things you’ve eaten are plant based?” 

 

Tony thought about her words, scratching at the palm that had touched the crystal. “I think you’re onto something, Fri,” He mentioned casually, getting to his feet and heading to the fridge. 

 

Inside, he saw some leftovers of his dinner from a couple days ago. It was some steak, and the instant his sensitive nose caught wind of it, his stomach started to scream with desire. 

 

Without even bothering to heat it up, Tony snatched the food and bit into it. The cold steak was the best thing he had tasted in days, and caused a happy moan to release out of his mouth involuntarily. 

 

_ Okay, I already knew this before but something is DEFINITELY going on, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.  _ Tony thought as he took another bite of the steak absently. 

 

“I would recommend heating that up before Colonel Rhodes gets home, boss,” Friday casually mentioned, but Tony could hear the amusement in her tone. 

 

Tony froze in his chewing, looking down at the cold and hard steak that still had a few bits of ice on it. He blushed a bit as he awkwardly responded,”Oh… Yeah… Right.”

 

— — — — — — —

 

A few days to himself was apparently too much for Ross to give him, meaning that Tony found himself in a meeting with the man again after a day and a half. 

 

He and Rhodey were stuck at the stupid table, listening to some members of Ross’s group drone on about their work to try and find out where the rouge Avengers were and how to apprehend them. 

 

Tony, meanwhile, drew out schematics on their documents for holographic communication technology so he wouldn’t have to sit next to the old, loud, smelly men. They were already annoying before his senses got better, but now it was almost impossible to deal with them. 

 

Once he finished the drawing, he discreetly slid it over to Rhodey. The man looked at it, grabbed a pen, wrote ‘fuck yes’ next to it, and slid it back.

 

The genius smirked, knowing that Rhodey felt the same as him on a smaller scale. Tony scratched at the side of his face and on his palm, trying to make it look like he was paying attention… Apparently it didn’t work. 

 

“Do you two even care about this at all!?” Ross snapped, slamming his hand on the table and making Tony flinch from the sudden loud noise. “This is about the people  _ you  _ let escape, Stark!” 

 

Rhodey quickly jumped to Tony’s defense. “With all due respect,  _ Sir _ ,” He began,”Tony did everything he could, but it’s kind of hard to beat two super soldiers on your own.” 

 

Ross frowned and leaned forward, condescendingly replying,”Well maybe you weren’t trying hard enough. How can we trust you to protect the civilians when you can’t even protect yourself? You’re lucky I even bothered to help you out of there in the first place.” 

 

His venom was surprisingly shocking, to the point that even the other men at the table who were on his side. Rhodey was so surprised that he didn’t have a response, and Tony was trying to stop himself from killing someone. 

 

His rage was burning within him, and it almost felt like fire. He wanted to jump across the table and choke the bastard, but he knew what that would lead to. Still, he couldn’t handle being around the man anymore. 

 

Tony placed his hands against the table hard, but not as hard as Ross did, and firmly said,”I think this meeting is over.” 

 

He turned and stormed out of the room, not even bothering to react to the sound of Ross and Rhodey calling for him.

 

— — — — — — 

 

Even when Tony got back to the Avengers compound, he was still filled with intense rage that quickly mixed with guilt and anxiety.

 

He slammed the door to his room shut, causing the whole room to seemingly shake in fear at his emotions. Tony didn’t notice the display of strength he made, he was too busy trying to breathe normally. 

 

“Maybe… Maybe he was right… Maybe…” He gulped down some more air. “Maybe if I had used- No, Rogers has seen me use that before. But I could have- I don’t know! I could have done something! I could have stopped myself! I could have stopped this all from happening!”

 

He growled out loud, tugging at his hair. “No! No! I-I-It’s not my fault! They tried to kill me too! They didn’t want to fight and then they left me there! They lied! They lied like EVERYONE does!” He yelled, falling to his knees on the cold floor of the room. 

 

“They… They used me…” He whispered softly. “Everyone did… Ross, Rogers, Fury. I’m just a pawn… A PAWN!!!” 

 

With a roar of anger, he slammed his fists down against the ground, cracking the floor underneath him. His breathing was extremely out of hand, his vision was turning black, he couldn’t see a thing, his heart was pounding in his ears and a strange feeling was burning through him. 

 

He lowered himself further, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, then another, and another.  _ Okay, Tony… Calm down. Breathe in and out, don’t let this be the thing that sets you over. Calm down…. Calm down… _

 

It took what felt like an hour, but could have also been a few minutes; Tony was never sure with these things anymore. Eventually, his breathing slowed down and his head stopped throbbing. 

 

_ Okay, everything’s good now. Now let’s get back up and go get a coffee, just relax. You can’t let Ross get to you, you can’t let anything get to you. If you do, they win.  _ He reminded himself, going to push back into a standing position… But he couldn’t. 

 

Tony’s eyes snapped open, trying to see what the problem was. Instantly, he locked into it and gasped. His hands… Well.. They weren’t hands anymore. 

 

Instead, the genius found himself staring at blue scales on long legs which came to an end like a stump, but had four gray claws at the end.  _ What?!  _ He wondered in shock, raising the hand and flexing the strange claws.  _ What’s going on!?  _

 

Tony backed up, and tried to stand up straight. But he was much taller than he remembered and his head slammed against the ceiling, the strange legs he suddenly had tripped against each other, and he crashed against the nearby desk, smashing it in half and sending things flying everywhere. 

 

The genius groaned aloud, but it came out strange, it sounded like an animal. He blinked his eyes several times, and found himself staring at the ceiling. He tried to roll over, but there was something underneath him… It felt like more appendages. He tried to stretch them, move them, anything. Turning his head to the side, he realized they were wings. 

 

With a panicked cry, he forced himself to flip around and stumble over to the floor to ceiling mirror in the room. What he saw… It made his heart stop once again. 

 

Standing in that mirror, staring right back at him, wasn’t his reflection. Nor was it a human, not even close. It was… 

 

It was a dragon. 


	2. Spreading Your Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony learns about his new form, and gives the people in his life a panic

Tony couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak, he felt completely paralyzed. All he could manage to do was stare at his reflection in utter shock. But it wasn’t his reflection… It was a dragon, a legendary creature that didn’t exist, shouldn’t exist. 

 

It was hard to try and remind himself of this, however, as the creature staring back at him in the mirror was breathing and blinking in unison with him. When he tilted his head, so did the reflection. Such a transformation should be impossible, but then again, he had seen many strange things in his lifetime… Maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to deny his own eyes.

 

_ This… Is me?  _ He wondered, taking a few hesitant steps closer to the mirror and beginning to examine himself. His scales were the color of a blue sky, his claws were a light grey that seemed to extend out if he flexed them, and his eyes were the same brown as his human eyes with black pupils that changed size with his emotions. Strangely, Tony also noticed that his body was peppered with gold scales that glimmered even in the fluorescent light.

 

He backed up a bit, getting a better look at the rest of him. He had long blue wings that folded easily against his sides, a smaller set at the base of his long tail, and at the end of that tail were two tail fins that moved on his command. He had a snort neck, and his eyes were near the front of his face, which resembled a gecko’s head with slits for nostrils and a prominent snout.

 

On the top and sides of his head were ear-like appendages, two largest ones on the top of his head and three smaller ones on both sides of his head. They seemed to move as his emotions changed, and were currently raised all the way up, letting him see that they were also sprinkled with those gold scales. 

 

Staring at the middle of his head were some spike-like spines that went all the way down his body, stopping just as the tail fins began. He noticed that they seemed to curve down and raise up with his mood, to the point you wouldn’t know they were there unless you were looking, and were a darker blue than his scales. 

 

From head to tail, he was so long he had to curl his tail so it didn’t hit the wall. If Tony had to guess, he would say about thirty feet in length, but he couldn't tell for sure. His wings, when he tried to raise them, were too long to get open all the way without hitting many things.

 

Having finished his examination, Tony crept back over to the mirror and raised one of his clawed legs, placing it against the mirror and watching the reflection do the same. He raised his head, looking into those brown eyes of his.  _ It is me… _ He confirmed. _ I’m.. I’m a dragon. But.. But why? What’s the point? _

 

“Boss?” The sudden, frantic voice of his AI getting his attention and startling him. The spines raised up again, his claws scratching the mirror’s surface as he whipped aroundt, ready for an attack… And then he recognized the voice. She spoke again, curther calming his nerves. “Boss! Is that you?”

 

Tony opened his mouth and tried to say,”It is me, Friday!” But that wasn’t what came out; Instead it was a noise that sounded like a grumbling purr of a large big cat which echoed around the room. Tony instantly shut his mouth, pupils getting bigger in surprise.  _ I can’t… I can’t speak like a human! _

 

He frantically spun around, his tail knocking more objects down, and releasing more of the half-roar noises and even some frantic whimpers in a desperate attempt to get Friday to understand him. 

 

Friday stayed silent for a few moments, and then said,”If that is you, boss, you need to leave now. Colonel Rhodes will be here in less than five minutes, and Ross has followed him here.”

 

_ No! They can’t see me like this! Even if Rhodey doesn’t do anything, Ross kill me or.. Or will lock me up for sure!  _ Tony thought in a panic, quickly releasing a thankful croon to Friday and then running to his door… Which was shut tightly. He frantically screeched, slamming his paw against the handle and denting it, but the door still wouldn’t budge.

 

He growled aloud, panic gripping him again. “Let me out! Let me out!” He yelled, which came out as angry roars. When the door still wouldn’t open, a sudden fury rose up within him. “LET ME OUT!!” He roared louder and, along with the sound, a blast of white and blue fire slammed against the door, burning through the thick wood in seconds and melting the metal frame around it.

 

Tony stared at it for a second with slit pupils, in complete awe of what he managed to do. But, he quickly shoot himself from the stupor.  _ Leave while you can! Before they get here!  _ He told himself, running through the remains of the door and down the hallway. His wings and tail slammed against things several times before he thought to fold his wings flat against his sides.

 

“I’ve opened the garage for you, please use it to get away,” Friday mentioned, and the human turned dragon quickly warbled out another thankful whine, dashing to the large garage and through the doors. The trees felt like they were miles away, and he frantically tried to flap his wings and get into the air. He got a few feet into the air, but then his whole body started to lean to the side and then crashed back onto the ground.

 

He groaned in frustration, shaking his body free of the faint feeling that gripped it.  _ Okay, don’t try and fly just yet, just get away!  _ He thought, bounding into the thick trees surrounding the compound and out of view. 

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

“Sir, perhaps it would be best to just give Tony time to cool down,” Rhodey tried to placate,”We’re not going to get anything done if he is arguing with you the whole time.” As much as the colonel hated to put down his best friend, he knew that preening Ross’s feathers a bit might help calm the man down… Even though Tony’s reaction was much more justified. 

 

Ross waved him off and then crossed his arms like a petulant toddler. “I don’t care, we had a meeting and we’ll finish it! If he wanted this to be an easy meeting, he should have listened instead of acting like a child!” He snapped. 

 

_ Look who’s talking!  _ Rhodey wanted to snap back, even though he knew what consequences that would bring. He bit the inside of his cheek and leaned back in his seat, forcing himself to stay silent. 

 

When they got into the compound, Rhodey quickly hopped out of the car and said,”I’ll go and get him, you can get comfy in the meeting room.”

 

“No, I’ll come with you,” Ross sneered,”I want to make sure Stark knows exactly who he is messing with.”

 

Rhodey forced his face not to change as he nodded in agreement, and hurriedly entered the compound. “Tony!” He called, pushing the door completely open. “I’m back with Ro-” 

 

He couldn’t even finish his sentence when he caught sight of the state of the entire compound. Furniture was broken, patches of carpet were missing and there were scratches across several surfaces, and Tony’s door was smashed and burned. 

 

“What the hell happened here!?” He heard Ross exclaim behind him, and for once Rhodey was thinking the exact same thing. 

 

The colonel frantically ran to Tony’s room and, to his horror, the place was in an even worse state. His desk was broken in half, the mirror was scratched, the floor was dented and cracked, and things were a mess. 

 

Still spinning around in complete loss of what to do, he demanded,”Friday! What happened?!” 

 

The AI quietly replied,”I do not know, Colonel. I have no footage of the incident.” 

 

Rhodey’s heart skipped a beat, and the fear within him tripled in size.  _ Who could have managed to hack Friday and get rid of the video? What happened here?!  _

 

“But… But we were only apart for thirty minutes!” Rhodey muttered,”Who could have- Why would they-“ 

 

Ross quickly interrupted him. “Stupid questions aren’t important, what is important is that we find Stark and discover what happened,” He declared,”I’ll get my men on it right away.” 

 

The colonel was too shaken to verbally respond, so he simply nodded and then hurried to look around the room more. 

 

When Ross was sure that the man was completely distracted by searching for clues, Ross turned his secret service men and firmly said,”Message the others, tell them that the Rogue Avengers have struck again.”

 

— — — — — — 

 

Tony didn’t know how far he had gone, other than that it was far enough that he couldn’t see the compound anymore. He was a bit surprised, he had never been able to run that far before, especially after he got the arc reactor in his chest. 

 

He skidded to a stop when he found a bigger gap in the trees, still panting hard from the extortion. He raised his ear-like appendages, listening for any sound from Ross or any of his goons. After a few seconds of nothing, he sighed in relief and flopped down onto the grass, his wings spreading out next to him. 

 

_ That was close… Too close... _ He thought with another sigh, which was quickly followed by an annoyed growl.  _ But why did this happen?! Why am I… Why am I a dragon!? Is it because of that thing?  _

 

Tony suddenly recalled the crystal he had seen, and how he had touched it. Out of everything that happened in the past few days, that stuck out the most.  _ It HAS to be from when I touched it.  _ He decided, and then growled again.  _ What was I thinking!? Why did I touch it when I had no clue what it would do?! _

 

Of course, Tony knew he was being too hard on himself. The second he heard that song, it was like he had been entranced. He didn’t really do the action on purpose…  _ Even so, look where that got me.  _ He grumbled to himself. 

 

Pulling himself back into a sitting position, he looked around discreetly.  _ There’s no one here, I’m safe… It’s okay to change back.  _ He told himself, squeezing his brown eyes shut and waiting for the transformation…

 

But when he opened his eyes, he was still looking at the blue legs and gray claws. The frills on his head flattened, pupils widening as he let out a nervous whine.  _ Why isn’t it working??  _

 

He squished his eyes shut again, and thought as hard as he could… But again, nothing happened. He roared again, stomping his paws against the ground and shooting a blast of flames onto the grass below him.

 

Quickly realizing how his temper got the better of him, he patted the fire away painlessly and then sighed in relief when all that was left was a patch of black grass. His anger then came back, and he started pacing. 

 

_ It was so sudden when it happened, I didn’t even feel it! What am I doing wrong!? Why can’t I change back!?  _ He thought, tail whipping back and forth behind him as he huffed and puffed, steam floating from his mouth. 

 

After a few minutes of this, he forced himself to calm down.  _ Okay, nothing will change if I just stay angry. I need to relax, think logically.  _ He told himself.  _ I’m a genius! I can come up with something, I just need to calm down first!  _

 

Tony sat down and brought a paw to his lips, licking it and rubbing at his face for a few seconds before his human mind caught up with him. He froze, lowering his paw and staring at it.  _ What am I doing?  _ He asked himself, grumbling deep in his throat. 

 

Before he could try to even forget what he had done, he heard the sound of footsteps. His eyes widened, the ear-like appendages raising as he looked towards the source. He stood up, sniffing their air. 

 

_ Humans…  _ He realized, and then growled at himself.  _ No! You’re human too! This is just temporary… It’ll be fixed! It’s just… Erm… People that shouldn’t see me right now!  _

 

Just as he managed to shake himself out of the stupor, he heard the footsteps again… But this time they were right next to him. In a moment of panic, all he could do was crouch low on the ground and desperately think about not being seen. 

 

Just as he did so, the bushes and leaves were pushed aside and a middle aged man with an angry look on his face showed himself. He stared right at Tony for several seconds, but then turned his eyes to look everywhere else. After looking around for a full minute, the man then sighed and muttered,”Damn kids…” And turned back the way they came. 

 

Tony stayed frozen where he was until the footsteps were gone, and then let out a huge sigh of relief.  _ Was he blind or something!? I was right in front of him, how did he miss me!?  _

 

The genius shook his head, and then started to walk back to the trees in order to hide better. Then, he saw it. Where he stepped, the grass got squished down, but he didn’t see anything there. 

 

His brown eyes widened, a confused croon coming from him. He raised his paw and waved it around and still saw nothing. With a more panicked noise, he turned his head to try and see his body… But it was gone.  _ Now I’m invisible?! What is happening to me!?  _

 

He flattened himself against the ground with a loud whine, the frills on his head flattening as well.  _ Be visible! I don’t want to be invisible!  _ He thought, but nothing changed. 

 

Tony took a few deep breaths.  _ Calm down, calm down… Maybe I’m not doing it right… What do these past few incidents have in common?  _ He asked himself. 

 

He thought hard, and finally came up with an idea.  _ I transformed without meaning to because I was emotional, I used my fire because I was desperate to escape, and I turned invisible to hide.  _ He listed.  _ All of these were… Oh!  _

 

The genius suddenly caught on.  _ It was on instinct! I did those things on instinct!  _ He realized, turning his head to look at the empty air behind him. He closed his eyes, and reached out to the instincts deep within him.  _ The danger is gone, I’m safe, there’s no reason to hide.  _

 

A strange tingle went down his scales, and when Tony opened his eyes he was greeted by the sight of those sky blue and gold scales again. He released Happy chirps as his pupils dilated and his frills raised up with his glee. He pranced a little in pride, raising his wings and wagging his tail.  _ I did it! It worked!  _

 

His excitement was cut off when he heard the footsteps again, and the old man’s voice growing,”I told those punks to stop messing with the trees!” 

 

_ Okay, celebration later. Time to leave.  _ Tony decided, feeling a little bold thanks to his new discovery. He flapped his wings and leapt into the air, going farther than he had last time before he started to tilt to one side. With a nervous warble, he started to fall. 

 

Turning around frantically, Tony forcefully reminded himself.  _ Don’t force it! Instinct! Instinct!  _ He stopped trying to control every little movement, and followed his gut. 

 

He flapped his wings again, this time turning his tail fins with his body and wings and, this time, he stayed in the air! 

 

He looked down at the fins, a dragon’s version of a grin climbing up his face. With a happy trill, he flapped his wings harder and flew high into the air, the world below becoming insignificant. 

 

Tony almost felt like he did when he was flying in the iron man suit, but this feeling was different… It was more pure. As Iron Man, everyone knew who he was, he wasn’t free from the chains of his human life.

 

But in this form, nobody knew who he was, nobody except him knew about this form yet. There were no expectations, no responsibilities. He wasn’t flying to some dangerous situation where he could die, or to be belittled by some egotistical Secretary. He was just flying to fly, doing something that he wanted to. 

 

It was something he hadn’t had the power to do, even when he was a child. He always had responsibilities, something to do, someone controlling his schedule. But as he climbed higher and higher into the sky, that silly smile still on his face, surrounded by only the blue skies and the clouds within it, he came to a realization. 

 

_ This is what freedom feels like. _

 

— — — — — — —

 

Tony spent hours up in the sky, flying around and enjoying the feeling of the wind and passing through clouds even after the sun had set. The stars and moon glimmered brightly, making his gold scales shine back. Oh, how Tony yearned to stay in the sky and fly forever, but he knew he couldn’t leave his human responsibilities forever, and he sure as hell couldn’t leave Ross alone; That was like leaving a toddler next to a socket with a metal fork. 

 

After spending a few more minutes in the night sky, he followed his own scent back to where the Avengers compound was and slowly landed down in the trees. He knew he couldn’t get too close right away, just in case Ross was prowling.

 

Slowly creeping closer to the compound, Tony looked around for the sight of anyone nearby. Maybe he could sneak back in, get to his lab, and then worry about how to transform back after. That’s when he saw the familiar form of Rhodey sitting just outside the front door, his head buried in his hands.

 

Tony let a sad whine rise up in his throat, his frills flattening against his head and wings drooping sadly. Recalling the state he had left the compound in due to his escape only made him feel worse.   _ Honey bear is probably worried sick… _ Tony thought, and slowly began to step out of the bushes. No matter what he was going through, he had to be there for Rhodey, it was like an instinct to him. The colonel was his best friend, after all. 

 

As he walked closer, things began to change....

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

 

“Why the long face, honey-bear?” 

 

Rhodey jolted out of his saddened slump, quickly turning to face the voice. Sure enough, standing in front of him (and still wearing the outfit he had on at the meeting) was his best friend, Tony Stark. He had no bruises, no scrapes, he looked perfectly fine.

 

“Tony!” Rhodey exclaimed, jumping to his feet and pulling the younger man into a tight hug for several seconds, simply to convince himself the man was really there. Once he made sure he wasn’t hallucinating, he pulled away and pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Where were you?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

 

The genius had the decency to look ashamed, and replied,”I’m sorry, platypus. I knew Ross would probably follow me back here and screech at us, so I just went to one of the diners and stayed there for a while after I stopped here. If he tried to say anything else, I was gonna blow up. I guess I should have warned you about the temper tantrum I left behind, huh?”

 

The colonel looked at him like he was crazy. “Uh.. Duh! Of course you should have! Ross has been running around like a headless chicken because of it!” He said,”Now you’re gonna get us both yelled at again!”

 

Tony scoffed and easily replied,”He doesn’t have to know. We’ll say it was a malfunction with the new security system or your enhanced suit. The second we go into tech-talk, he always blanks. We should be good.”

 

Rhodey still had his doubts… He felt like Tony wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t want to pry, especially after what Ross had said to him. He’d put his suspicions aside for now, he was more happy that nothing bad had happened to his best friend.

 

That relief appeared on his face in the form of a big smile as he patted Tony’s shoulder. “Well, I’m glad your back and calm,” He said, heading back inside the compound. “Let’s go and call Ross, the sooner we get that out of the way, the better.”

 

Tony snorted in response, and said,”No kidding.” He watched Rhodey walk into the compound, waiting until he was a couple feet in. Then took a second to turn and look back at the sky longingly, before following the colonel back inside.


	3. Rewrite Notice

So I’m sorry to say this, especially since this story only has a few chapters, but Touch The Sky is going into a rewrite mode. 

 

I love this idea and have drawn a lot of art based on it, but I think I can go about it a much better way than the original. 

 

I won’t post the new, rewritten version until it has as many chapters as the original did. But when I do, I’ll post an author’s note to make sure you all know

 

In the meantime, leave a comment and let me know what you liked, what you didn't like, things you'd like to see in the rewrite. I'll take them all into consideration :)

 

Thank you for your patience and sorry about this! The story will be back soon!


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